Posts Tagged ‘ Paradise of Bachelors ’

Nathan Bowles: February 12, 2015 Union Pool and January 31, 2015 Silent Barn – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

February 22, 2015
By

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An canny, skilled and unpretentious kind of player, Nathan Bowles is nonetheless important not because of how he plays, but what he plays. There’s no shortage of banjo music circulating these days — the jam-band scene is filled with bands playing their own pabulum and covering the classic rock hits with the instrument, using it to deliver a little authenticity from the extra twang. Bowles’ career is the exact opposite of all of that — not only does he bring a new style and sound to Appalachian music, but he has an intrinsic knowledge of what a worthy song is, whatever its era.

First as a member of legendary Pelt, the multi-instrumentalist helped to make drone-based music that changed the conversation about what “folk” could be. With the Black Twig Pickers, he and his bandmates have gone deep into American history, both excavating and elevating lost and under-appreciated old-time music. Fitting, then, that his solo work, in particular 2014’s Nansemond, does some of both, giving us traditional Appalachian and Piedmont string music that’s infused with the sound and spirit of the modern avant-garde. Though “solo” in name, Nansemond is a full-band effort, allowing Bowles to produce tunes like the album’s bookends, “Sleepy Lake Bike Club” and “Sleepy Lake Tire Swing” that weave rich guitar textures around his virtuosic banjo work.

These sets at Union Pool and Silent Barn were true solo affairs, with Bowles the support act for Joan Shelley and Elisa Ambrogio, respectively. In front of two crowds that couldn’t have been more different, Bowles performed sets that delivered the full range of what’s meaningful about Nansemond. Both were all-Nansemond affairs that included the “Sleepy Lake” pieces and his straightforward medley of “Jonah and the Whale” and “Poor Liza Jane”. At Union Pool we got “Moonshine Is the Sunshine”, closer to the former numbers in tone, while at Silent Barn, Bowles added something more experimental to the reportoire, with Chuckatuck”, a song in which Tom Carter’s guitar work figures prominently on the record. You could’ve heard a pin drop among the Union Pool crowd, who Nathan thanked, almost baffled, for how respectful they were. If playing for the younger crowd at Silent Barn — who’d already been treated to a couple of punk bands — represented an uphill climb, Bowles didn’t show it; if anything, the spare arrangement of “Chuckatuck”, extended by three minutes versus the album version, ought to go down as one of that song’s best takes.

The Union Pool set was recorded with a soundboard feed from the house engineer Rob together with my Schoeps MK41 supercardiod microphones, while Eric PH recorded the Silent Barn gig with a straight soundboard feed from the engineer Mike, with only a tiny amount of his AKG 480 cardiods mixed in.

Download the Union Pool show [FLAC] | [MP3]

Download the Silent Barn show [FLAC] | [MP3]

Stream the Union Pool show:

Stream the Silent Barn show:

Nathan Bowles
2015-02-12
Union Pool
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Soundboard (engineer: Rob) + Schoeps MK41 (PAS)>KCY>Z-PFA>Sound Devices USBPre2 >> Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (fades, compression, mix down)>Izotope Ozone 5 (effects, exciter)>Audacity 2.0.5 (track, amplify, balance, downsample, dither)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [intro]
02 Sleepy Lake Bike Club
03 [banter1]
04 Moonshine is the Sunshine [Jeffrey Cain]
05 [banter2]
06 Jonah and the Whale [traditional] / folk medley
07 [banter3]
08 Sleepy Lake Tire Swing
____________________________________________________

Nathan Bowles
2015-01-31
Silent Barn
Brooklyn, NY

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by Eric PH

Soundboard (engineer: Mike) + AKG C480B/CK61 (FOB, PAS) > Roland R-26 > 2xWAV(24/48) > Adobe Audition CC (align, mixdown) > Audacity 2.0.5 (amplify, fades, downsample, dither, tracking, tagging) > FLAC (level 8)

Tracks [45:13]
01. Sleepy Lake Bike Club
02. [banter/tuning]
03. Jonah/Poor Liza Jane
04. [banter/tuning]
05. Sleepy Lake Tire Swing
06. [banter/tuning]
07. Chuckatuck

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Nathan Bowles, visit his website, and buy Nansemond from Paradise of Bachelors.

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Steve Gunn: January 11, 2015 Rough Trade – FLAC/MP3/Streaming Full Set

January 15, 2015
By


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[photos by Jill Harrison]

One of the very best songs on Steve Gunn‘s Way Out Weather is a song inspired by Steve’s former noisy neighbor. In lesser hands, such banal subject matter might result in a bit of a dud. But Gunn turns the humble beginnings of “Milly’s Garden” into something wonderful and universal, a meditation on unease and the desire to move on. We last saw Gunn at Rough Trade in October, with his full band in tow, so this was a very different, but equally special kind of performance. Celebrating the first anniversary of the once-troubled (by noise complaints, at least) venue, Gunn played this gig solo but left the songs’ guitar explorations. Again, in lesser hands, a ten-plus minute “Old Strange” as a solo opener might not work — but Gunn’s kickoff to the night was magical. Poking fun at his trademark relaxed demeanor, Steve warned the Sunday afternoon crowd at the outset that they might fall asleep, but the house gave him their rapt attention, hanging on words shorn of everything surrounding them but his lone guitar. Gunn was in fine form, making us laugh in between songs that he played with dead-serious intent. To put an exclamation mark on the evening, Gunn closed with “Lurker”, which first debuted on the Three Lobed Recordings boxed set and was a treat as a full-band version back in October.

Since its inception, Rough Trade has been a valuable add to a neighborhood whose venues are depleting rapidly. Even if its surroundings may be fancier than the DIY spots that came before it, hosting an artist like Steve Gunn for your anniversary show proves that the Rough Trade folks intend to remain a credit to what this neighborhood was.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK41 microphones and a soundboard feed from house engineer Kyle Lawrence. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

Download the complete show: [MP3] | [FLAC]

Stream the complete show: 

Steve Gunn
2015-01-11
Rough Trade (1st Year Anniversary)
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK41 (FOB/DFC/PAS)>KC5>CMC6>Sound Devices USBPre2 + Soundboard (engineer: Kyle Lawrence)>>Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (align, mix down, compression)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, harmonic exciter)>Audacity 2.0.5 (tracking, amplify, balance, downsample, dither)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 57:47]
01 [intro banter]
02 Old Strange
03 Shadow Bros
04 Water Wheel
05 [banter2]
06 Wildwood
07 [banter3]
08 Way Out Weather
09 [banter4]
10 Milly’s Garden
11 [banter5]
12 Lurker

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Steve Gunn, visit his website, and buy his albums, all of which have “buy” links here.

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Steve Gunn: October 12, 2014 Rough Trade NYC – FLAC/MP3/Streaming Full Set

October 14, 2014
By


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Steve Gunn‘s tenacity and prolific output have paid off. When I saw the man mentioned in Rolling Stone in conjunction with his latest, Way Out Weather, which also received favorable notice in all the right places, I felt that sense of vindication that sometimes the mainstream gets it right. Properly hailed in that magazine as a “six-string legend”, what is perhaps more notable about Gunn’s recent turns is his growth as a vocalist. More than a few guitarists’ careers have foundered when the man stepped to the microphone, but Gunn’s vocal turns, particularly on his last two records, have only broadened his appeal. You’d be mistaken if you ignored instrumental triumphs like Boerum Palace and Ocean Parkway (or his Golden Gunn effort with Hiss Golden Messenger), but Gunn has established himself now as a capable traditional frontman as well as one of the most exciting guitarists of his generation.

This show celebrated the release of Way Out Weather in Gunn’s hometown, and he and the band arrived exhausted but loose from a too-long stint on the parking lot of I-95. The show began almost informally, with the band’s soundcheck seguing into a jam that became “Water Wheel” from Time Off, followed by “Old Strange” from that album in a similar, extra-extended mode. Gunn took his time between tracks to chat about the meanings of songs (“Wildwood” came from a lot of time on the Jersey shore as a kid; “Milly’s Garden” arose out of conflict with a nosy neighbor) and joke with the crowd. The vibe was both homecoming and celebration, as it should have been. The title track and “Tommy’s Congo” already feel like live show standards, offering Gunn ample opportunities to shred on guitar. Likewise, he and the band didn’t hold back on the encore number, “Lurker”, a song celebrated for a while now as one of the best examples of Gunn’s vintage blues. Gunn’s exposure to the world has been a bit like his music, unfolding without hurry, at his own pace. Here’s to more people spreading the word.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK41 supercardiod microphones and a soundboard feed from Rough Trade engineer in our usual location in the venue. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

Download the full set: [MP3] | [FLAC]

Stream the full set (minus banter tracks):

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request, and feel free to repost the Soundcloud links.

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Steve Gunn
2014-10-12
Rough Trade NYC
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK41 (DFC, PAS, at SBD)>KCY>Z-PFA>Sound Devices USBPre2 + Soundboard (engineer: Nick)>Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (align, mix down, compression)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, effects)>Audacity 2.0.3 (tracking, amplify, balance, downsample, dither)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:15:25]
01 intro jam>Water Wheel
02 [banter1]
03 Old Strange
04 [banter2]
05 Wildwood
06 [banter3]
07 Shadow Bros
08 [banter4]
09 Milly’s Garden
10 Way Out Weather
11 [banter5]
12 Tommy’s Congo
13 [encore break]
14 Lurker

Band
Steve Gunn – Vocals, guitar
Nathan Bowles – Banjo, drums
Jim Elkington – Guitar
Jason Meagher – Drums, bass

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Steve Gunn, visit his website, and buy his releases from Paradise of Bachelors and Three Lobed Recordings

Hiss Golden Messenger: September 18, 2014 Rough Trade NYC (FLAC/MP3/Streaming)

September 19, 2014
By


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[photos by acidjack]

I have only seen Hiss Golden Messenger once before with a full band, a revelatory performance at the 2012 Hopscotch Music Festival. Since then, I have caught Mike Taylor several times in what one might call his de facto state, as the solo artist on his own, playing songs the way he did for his stripped-down, four-track album Bad Debt. In my time following Taylor’s work, I have come to see HGM as the embodiment of two different instincts — one, the band-leading artist drawing on his love of audience-pleasing, crowd-moving southern rock and gospel found in particular on Haw and Country Hai East Cotton; the other a man alone in a kitchen beside a sleeping baby, wrestling with his demons as the tape spools away like time. The challenge, and the reward, of Hiss Golden Messenger is the ability to reconcile those impulses.

This set at Rough Trade NYC, sponsored by Aquarium Drunkard, began with one of my all-time favorite HGM numbers, “Red Rose Nantahala” from Haw. As that song segued into the upbeat “Saturday’s Song” from Taylor’s Merge debut, Lateness of Dancers, it almost told the story of the latter-day band in two songs. The first finds Taylor pleading “Oh Lord, let me be happy” and “let me be the one I want”. The next, from an album that by all rights should take HGM to the “next level“, is a grown-up father’s song, about wanting to cut loose on the weekend, drink some whiskey, Sunday hangover be damned. The character in that song seems resolutely himself. Content at last, hangover be damned.

After that second song, Taylor slapped his guitar and noted that a Hiss Golden Messenger tour used to just be him and that single instrument (that’d be as recently as March, when he played a tour de force performance at Mercury Lounge). Today the band is a five-piece that features longtime collaborator Scott Hirsch on bass, Matt Douglas on saxophone, vocals and guitars, Megafaun‘s Phil Cook on keys, banjo and vocals, and Matt McCaughan (Rosebuds, Portastatic, Bon Iver) on drums. In some ways, the band reflects Mike’s changing circumstances, not only as a more known musician, but as an ever-more-firmly entrenched member of the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, North Carolina music scene whose players pop up as regularly on each other’s records as they do at one another’s shows. Lateness feels less like a purely Mike Taylor album and more like a Triangle music album circa 2014, at a time when the scene is flourishing in all sorts of ways, but also ever-more-mindful of its roots. It leans, then, more toward Mike’s country-rock and gospel impulses, and that’s a fine thing.

So when we heard the Poor Moon classics “Blue Country Mystic” and “Call Him Daylight” in this new configuration, they were part of the “dance portion” of the set, an entire concept new to HGM sets that I’ve seen. “Daylight”, in particular, became a twangier, country-funk number, and as Douglas’ sax breakdown hit, the most striking thing of all was that people actually did dance. I shook my head a tad at a reckoning with god inspiring that reaction in people, but when Taylor hit the song’s final, climactic verse, the chills were there. As far as southern rock-via-HGM goes, it’s hard to beat “Lucia” from Lateness, or the equally compelling “Raven (Snake Children” that followed. This was my first time hearing both of these songs live, and they seemed to benefit most from the band and this setup (which isn’t surprising, since these players recorded them). Similarly, the Lateness material I had heard live before — “Southern Grammar” and “Chapter & Verse” — sounded better-realized than ever.

In another sign that today’s HGM is a more collaborative effort these days, the show’s final song was played on the floor, unamplified, with Taylor and the band pressed in on all sides by fans, performing “Drum” as the crowd added its own percussion and sang along. “Take the good news / and carry it away”, the crowd sang, rendering Mike’s voice just one among many. Hiss Golden Messenger has grown from one man and one instrument to a true band, and the good news for us is, they’ve got many miles left to travel. “We’re going to play a lot of shows this year. I guess everybody up here needs to get ready for that,” Taylor told us earlier in the set. That goes for you fans out there, too — here are the current tour dates.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK4V microphones at the soundboard and a stereo feed from house engineer Cameron. The sound quality is outstanding, though of course note that “Drum” was sung on the floor unamplified, so it sounds like that. Enjoy!

Download the complete show: [MP3] | [FLAC]

Stream the complete show: 

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Hiss Golden Messenger
2014-09-18
Rough Trade NYC
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK4V (inside SBD cage, PAS)>KC5>CMC6>Sound Devices USBPre2 + Soundboard (engineer: Cameron)>Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (align, mix down, adjust levels, limiter)>Izotope Ozone 5 (light EQ, imaging, effects)>Audacity 2.0.3 (fades, tracking, amplify, balance, downsample, dither)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks:
01 Red Rose Nantahala
02 Saturday’s Song
03 [banter]
04 Mahogany Dread
05 Day O Day (A Love So Free)
06 [banter2]
07 Busted Note
08 [banter3]
09 Blue Country Mystic
10 [banter4]
11 Call Him Daylight
12 [banter5]
13 I’ve Got A Name for the Newborn Child
14 [banter6]
15 Lucia
16 I’m A Raven (Snake Children)
17 [banter7]
18 Southern Grammar
19 [encore break]
20 Chapter & Verse (Ione’s Song)
21 [banter8]
22 Drum [played on the floor]

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Hiss Golden Messenger, visit his website, and buy Lateness of Dancers from Merge Records and his other records from his shop. And see the band on tour.

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Hiss Golden Messenger: March 2, 2014 Mercury Lounge – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

March 11, 2014
By


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[Photos by acidjack]

Standing in the packed house, at an early show on Oscar night, I got the sense that we may be witnessing Hiss Golden Messenger hitting a natural peak. There’s the anecdotal information: a glowing Daily Beast write-up (among much other favorable press), the sold-out Mercury Lounge on a Sunday night, even people in their twenties who knew the words to every song. But the greater thing is the performances themselves, more assured and powerful at every encounter. We’ve covered HGM in a variety of configurations — large full band, small duo/trio and solo, not to mention fronting Magnolia Electric Co.  — but I’m not sure I’ve seen or heard a stronger set that this one. On this night Taylor drew from a deep well; you could hear it in every note. You could see it on the faces in the crowd, too, both the newcomers and the old, marveling at just how much he has to give.

There were a few rarities in tonight’s setlist, including the old song (we’re fairly sure is called) “Lucia” and the Songs: Ohia number “What Comes After the Blues”. Taylor also shared some songs from his forthcoming album, which he was in town to master. We got both “Southern Grammar”, which he shared with us at Glasslands back in August, as well as a new one from that whose title we don’t know “The Lateness of Dancers”, which was new to us (thanks to commenter Felice for the heads-up on the title). If you missed it, Mike has also been promoting the Paradise of Bachelors re-release of his LP Bad Debt, a lo-fi masterpiece that sourced many of the songs that would later re-appear in fully-realized form on Poor Moon and elsewhere. The man standing there before a crowd that knew his name felt, in some ways, a far cry from the lone artist in his kitchen, hammering out Bad Debt while his baby slept. Perhaps Taylor isn’t that exact same man, but a better version of him. An artist coming, like the slow bloom of this spring, fully into his own.

I recorded this set with the house mix by head engineer Kevin Mazzarelli, plus Schoeps MK41 microphones and a Sound Devices preamp to provide ambiance. The quality is outstanding. Enjoy!

Stream “What Comes After the Blues” [Songs: Ohia]

Stream “Sufferer”

Download the complete show [MP3] | [FLAC]

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

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Hiss Golden Messenger
2014-03-02
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Soundboard (engineer: Kevin Mazzarelli) + Schoeps MK41 (PAS)>KCY>Z-PFA>Sound Devices USBPre2>>Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (compression, align, mix down)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ)>Audacity 2.0.3 (tracking, fades, amplify, balance, downsample, dither)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 When I Was A Young Boy [Nina Simone/traditional]
02 [banter]
03 Call Him Daylight
04 [banter2]
05 Blue Country Mystic
06 Balthazar’s Song
07 [banter3]
08 O Little Light
09 A Working Man Can’t Make It No Way
10 [banter4]
11 Busted Note
12 The Lateness of Dancers
13 Southern Grammar
14 Jesus Shot Me In the Head
15 [banter5]
16 Lucia
17 [banter6]
18 What Comes After the Blues [Songs: Ohia]
19 [banter7]
20 Super Blue (Two Days Clean)
21 Sufferer

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Hiss Golden Messenger, like him on Facebook, and purchase Haw, Bad Debt and his other releases on digital or vinyl from Paradise of Bachelors [HERE], or all of his releases on vinyl [HERE].

Black Twig Pickers: September 7, 2013 Paradise of Bachelors/WXYC Day Show, Hopscotch Music Festival (Raleigh, NC) – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

October 31, 2013
By


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[Photos courtesy of Paradise of Bachelors]

The great folklorist Alan Lomax always feared that the mass culture would destroy regional styles of music, creating an indistinct, homogenized whole with no sense of place. While his thesis hasn’t totally been proven wrong, the scope of technology and the fervent interest in music fostered in part by it today allow people to reach beyond their borders to preserve such styles, as well as present them to a wider audience.

Enter the Black Twig Pickers, playing Appalachian old-time music of southwest Virginia the way it’s meant to be played. Their music aims to both preserve tradition, as well as expand upon it in ways that distance and lack of technology couldn’t in its earlier years. The Twigs are regulars at the Hopscotch Music Festival, having provided tunes for the Three Lobed/WXDU Day Show the past few years, but this year they were also able to join our friends at Paradise of Bachelors for a full set on their lovely outdoor stage.

The Twigs have had a great year so far, releasing both their excellent Rough Carpenters LP along with a split 7″ with Steve Gunn on Thrill JockeyCarpenters takes the scope of the Twigs’ music a little farther afield in the Appalachian tradition, bringing in new regional influences and showing more emphasis on dance numbers. This set began in transition from the Pelt set moments before, as Pelt members Mike Gangloff and Nathan Bowles segued the outro drone from that set into the traditional bluegrass number “Dan Friend’s Piece”. From there, we got a short and sweet frolic through the Twigs’ catalog, including “Old Christmas Morning” and “Rough Carpenters” from Rough Carpenters. At a festival that featured everything from black metal to electronically composed ambient music, this was an opportunity to take a brief step back in time to honor a tradition whose influence, even as it has morphed and change, well exceeded its original borders or its original players’ wildest intentions. Were he still alive, Lomax might see a show like this, and find comfort yet.

I recorded this set in the same manner as the other sets at this show, and the sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “Rough Carpenters

Download the complete show: [MP3] | [FLAC]

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

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Black Twig Pickers
2013-09-07
Paradise of Bachelors / WXYC Day Show
Louise “Scottie” Stephenson Amphitheatre
Raleigh, NC USA

Schoeps MK4V>KC5>CMC6 + Soundboard>>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (mix down, adjustments)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ)>Audacity 2.03 (tracking, fades, amplify, balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Dan Friend’s Piece
02 The Route
03 [tuning/banter]
04 Rough Carpenters
05 [tuning]
06 Brushy Fork of John’s Creek
07 Old Christmas Morning
08 Merry Mountain Hoedown

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT the Black Twig Pickers, visit their website, like them on Facebook, and buy Rough Carpenters and their other releases from Thrill Jockey.

Birds of Maya: September 7, 2013 Paradise of Bachelors / WXYC Day Show, Hopscotch Music Festival (Raleigh, NC) – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

October 14, 2013
By

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[Photos by acidjack]

If certain people are to be believed, Birds of Maya is the best rock n’ roll band in Philadelphia. Which, considering how essential that city’s rock tradition has been to the genre in the last few years, is saying a hell of a lot. In recent years, acts like Purling Hiss (the newer vehicle of BoM’s Mike Polizze) and Spacin’ have gotten a lot of the ink, but Birds of Maya is what started it all. After killer sets from fellow Philadelphians Spacin’ and Chris Forsyth earlier in the day at the Paradise of Bachelors / WXYC day show during Hopscotch Music Festival, it was only fitting that the day ended with the BoM mothership blasting us off to 1969 with some epically heavy chooglin’. Rarely bothering with such studio niceties as polished production and carefully laid out song titles, Birds of Maya’s official releases soar on the pure adrenaline of monster riffs made with total commitment and no bad attitudes. Ready to Howl, for example, is a double LP consisting of three songs – “Friday”, “Saturday” and “Sunday”. That’s how they roll.

All of that made BoM an ideal coda to a perfect weekend outdoor show, as the band roared through four epic-length tracks. That old Spinal Tap line about cranking your amps to 11 isn’t, it turns out, a figure of speech — Birds of Maya pushed out enough onstage volume that the amps seethed with fuzz. This set of continuous music brought all the heat of the band’s LPs, with the spontaneity and good vibes of the live setting to boot. Just listen to “E.O.I.”, streaming below, to get an idea of how it felt to see these guys in action.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK4V microphones and a soundboard feed. As noted, BoM’s amps were cranked, causing the board feed to distort a little. So, this sounds similar to a Birds of Maya album — loud, fuzzy and raw. It’s a thing of beauty. Enjoy!

Stream “E.O.I.”

Download the complete show: [MP3] | [FLAC]

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

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Birds of Maya
2013-09-07
Paradise of Bachelors /WXYC Day Show
Louise “Scottie” Stephenson Amphitheatre
Raleigh, NC USA

Schoeps MK4V>KC5>CMC6 + SBD>>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (mix down, adjustments, EQ to SBD)>Izotope Ozone 5 (tube effect, compression, EQ)>Audacity 2.03 (tracking, fades, amplify, balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [intro]
02 Sie Kleben
03 E.O.I.
04 Black Foot Kin
05 Cosmic Honeyshaker

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Birds of Maya, like them on Facebook, and buy their records online at Midheaven Mailorder.

Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band: September 7, 2013 Paradise of Bachelors / WXYC Day Show, Hopscotch Music Festival (Raleigh, NC)

October 9, 2013
By
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[Photo courtesy of Constance Mensh for Paradise of Bachelors]

Chris Forsyth has a body of work that’s deeper and more diverse than that of most artists twice his age. But he may have produced his finest work to date with his first release for Paradise of BachelorsSolar Motel. which comes out at the end of this month. Joined by a group of players (Paul Sukeena on guitar, Peter Kerlin on bass and Steven Urgo on drums) that he calls the Solar Motel Band, his new psychedelic art-rock outfit, Forsyth gave the assembled crowd for the Paradise of Bachelors / WXYC day show the great privilege of playing the new record straight through. The four-movement record has a power and narrative structure all its own, suggesting that even with his many accomplishments as a guitarist, Forsyth may be even better in the role of bandleader.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK4V microphones from the exact spot you can see in the photo above. Put the headphones on and let Forsyth and the Solar Motel Band take you on a journey you won’t soon forget. Enjoy!

Solar Motel is available for pre-order now.

Downloads available at the Live Music Archive

Chris Forsyth & the Solar Motel Band
2013-09-07
Paradise of Bachelors Day Show
Louise “Scottie” Stephenson Amphitheatre
Raleigh, NC USA

Schoeps MK4V>KC5>CMC6>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (mix down, adjustments)>Izotope Ozone 5 (tube effect, compression, EQ)>Audacity 2.03 (tracking, fades, amplify, balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Solar Motel Part I>
02 Solar Motel Park II
03 [banter]
04 Solar Motel Part III
05 Solar Motel Part IV

Players:

Chris Forsyth: guitar
Paul Sukeena: guitar
Peter Nye Kerlin: bass
Steven Urgo: drums

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Chris Forsyth, visit his website, pre-order Solar Motel from Paradise of Bachelors and buy his other releases from the links here.

Promised Land Sound: September 7, 2013 Paradise of Bachelors / WXYC Day Show, Hopscotch Music Festival (Raleigh, NC) – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

October 2, 2013
By

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[Photos by acidjack]

The young Nashville band Promised Land Sound represents a bold new move by the fledgling North Carolina label Paradise of Bachelors. It’s their first attempt to officially break a new act. And, if the quality of PLS’ live performance at the PoB/WXYC Hopscotch Music Festival Day Show is any way to gauge it, I’d say they have a good shot at succeeding. The Bachelors signed the band on a bit of a whim, having caught them as an opening act for established underground artists Wooden Wand and MV & EE at William Tyler‘s venue The Stone Fox. The band fits well into PoB’s musical vision, with a catalog that expresses a continuous line from the rock of decades ago to today’s artists. Which is to say that while PLS is new, their country-inflected barroom choogling could have lit a fire under people’s ass back when the band members’ parents were still on the prowl.

This set covered both material from their just-released debut LP, Promised Land Sound (which features Tyler as a guest performer), as well as some earlier material from their Stoned Eagle EP from 2012. The boys’ live performance emphasized the grittiness of their sound, and in many ways flattered the hands-off approach taken to the record’s production, which has a good bit of similarity to the live sound. Rocking out in the lovely Stephenson Amphitheatre in the late summer sun, I could see how the comparisons made between such luminaries as CCR, Jim Ford and Gene Clark in the press materials were more than fair. Promised Land Sound should have a lot to look forward to in the years ahead.

I recorded this set in the same manner as the other PoB Day Show recordings, with Schoeps MK4V cardiods at the stage lip and a soundboard feed. While the performance, and the quality of the capture of the instruments on stage is excellent, the PA suffered from some distortion that is evident on the recording, primarily in the vocals. With the understanding that this is a limitation of the equipment and not the band, this should be a worthwhile introduction to this up-and-coming young act. Enjoy!

Stream “Fadin’ Fast”

Download the complete show: [MP3] | [FLAC]

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

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Promised Land Sound
2013-09-07
Paradise of Bachelors Day Party
Louise “Scottie” Stephenson Amphitheatre
Raleigh, NC USA

Schoeps MK4V>KC5>CMC6 + Soundboard>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (mix down, adjustments)>Izotope Ozone 5 (tube effect, EQ)>Audacity 2.03 (tracking, fades, amplify, balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [POB Intro]
02 [instrumental]
03 The Storm
04 Yes You Can
05 Weed and Wine
06 Fadin’ Fast
07 Fuck Cancer
08 If Only
09 All the Time

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Promised Land Sound, like them on Facebook and buy Promised Land Sound from Paradise of Bachelors. Support the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill’s WXYC by paying them a visit as well.

Spacin’: September 6, 2013 King’s and September 7, 2013 Paradise of Bachelors Day Show (Hopscotch Music Festival, Raleigh, NC) – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

September 20, 2013
By

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[Photos by acidjack]

We first caught up with the Philadelphia-based garage rockers Spacin’ at 285 Kent back in April. As that review noted, this band is part of a proud and growing Philadelphia music tradition that continues to grow stronger as Brooklyn gets taken over by laptops. This is authentic, hard-rocking spaced-out rock for any era, but music that’s badly needed in this one. At this year’s Hopscotch Music Festival, fans in the know got to experience Spacin’ doing two somewhat-different sets in the span of two days.

First the band brought it hard at a rock-dominated bill at Raleigh’s Kings Barcade on Friday night. Then, for those hoping to nurse their hangovers in a positive way, they joined the more eclectic Paradise of Bachelors day show bill, following on the heels of Lonnie Holley. Band founder Jason Killinger had an especially busy Saturday, as he would join his other band, Birds of Maya, to close out the PoB day show. Of the two, it was this raunchier, rawer set that stood out for me — even in a WPA-era amphitheater backdropped by a rose garden, Spacin’ turned out an elemental, hard-hitting rock show that I won’t soon forget. Their first full-length, Deep Thuds, is a must-have for fans of riffed-out rock, as well as aficionados of great album art. Tracks from each show are streaming below, and both shows can be downloaded as well.

I recorded the King’s set with a rig installed there with the assistance of a couple of North Carolina friends, consisting of my Audio Technica 3031 microphones and a mono board feed. The Paradise of Bachelors Day Show rig consisted of Schoeps MK4V microphones in front of the stage, plus a stereo soundboard feed. Both recordings are outstanding. While there is a bit of distortion on vocals on the PoB show due to the heavily-taxed soundboard, it only adds to the experience. Enjoy!

Thanks to Paradise of Bachelors for having us out to the show!

Stream “Gary In the Universe” from the Paradise of Bachelors show

Stream “Ego-Go” from King’s

Download the Paradise of Bachelors show: [MP3] | [FLAC]

Download the King’s show: [MP3] | [FLAC]

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Spacin’
2013-09-07
Paradise of Bachelors Day Show
Louise “Scottie” Stephenson Amphitheatre
Raleigh, NC USA

Hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK4V>KC5>CMC6 + Soundboard>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (mix down, adjustments)>Izotope Ozone 5 (tube effect, EQ)>Audacity 2.03 (tracking, fades, amplify, balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [intro – Chris Smith]
02 Sunshine No Shoes
03 Gary In the Universe
04 Total Freedom
05 Ego-Go
06 Human Condition
_____________________________
Spacin’
2013-09-06
Hopscotch Music Festival
King’s
Raleigh, NC USA

Hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Audio Technica 3031 (FOB, DFC, ceiling mount)+Soundboard (mono)>Roland R-26>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (mix down)>Izotope Ozone 5 (tape effect, stereo imaging, EQ)>Audacity 2.03 (fades, amplify, parallel compression)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 American Ruse
02 Empty Mind
03 [banter]
04 Ego-Go
05 Sunshine No Shoes

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Spacin’, check them out on Facebook, and buy their album Deep Thuds from Midheaven Mailorder.

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